Promise Me Texas (Whispering Mountain Series #7)

by Jodi Thomas

Overview

In this novel in the Whispering Mountain series, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas returns to Texas with a historical romance that sets two unlikely hearts on fire...

On a midnight train, four hours away from her wedding, Beth McMurray discovers the devastating truth about the powerful senator she's about to marry. Convinced nothing could make this stormy night worse, the train wrecks, and she tumbles straight into the arms of an outlaw.

Andrew McLaughlin doesn't believe in loving except between the pages of his writings. He loved deeply once and thinks he'll never survive another loss. To save a friend, he climbs aboard a train heading toward Dallas. In the moment before the train crashes, he saves a beautiful woman and is injured in the fall. He wakes up to find she’s claimed him as her fiancé—and now they’re both on the run, and destined to do everything it takes to make an unexpected promise of love come true.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101626320
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/05/2013
Series:	Whispering Mountain Series , #7
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	173,196
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas is a fifth-generation Texan who sets many of her stories in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. She is a certified marriage and family counselor, a Texas Tech graduate and writer-in-residence at West Texas A&M University. She lives with her husband in Amarillo, Texas.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Promise Me Texas
“Thomas’ stories make everyone believe Texas is the greatest place on earth… The depth of emotion, tenderness and heartfelt warmth that make Thomas a fan favorite are written into another wonderful, memorable tale.” —RT Book Reviews (4 ½ stars)

Praise for the novels of New York Times Bestselling Author JODI THOMAS
Four-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award
"Tender, realistic, and insightful, Thomas's latest title deals with issues that will strike an emotional chord with many readers and will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber and Sherryl Woods." —Library Journal
"First let me let you in on a secret — I've never met a Jodi Thomas book that wasn't absolutely dog eared from being read so many times. They are all like warm cozy friends that just beg to be taken back down from the book shelves and revisited....CHANCE OF A LIFETIME is destined to become one of my favorites and I'll wager that it will be yours as well. Thomas managed to interweave a host of stories and characters in this wonderful contemporary tale infused with humor and mystery." —Fresh Fiction
“Exactly the kind of heart-wrenching, emotional story one has come to expect from Jodi Thomas.”—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Jodi Thomas is a masterful storyteller. She grabs your attention on the first page, captures your heart, and then makes you sad when it is time to bid her wonderful characters farewell. You can count on Jodi Thomas to give you a satisfying and memorable read.”—Catherine Anderson, New York Times bestselling author
"Thomas sketches a slow, sweet surrender."—Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/02/2013
Bestseller Thomas strikes gold again with her seventh Whispering Mountain historical (after Wild Texas Rose), set in 1879 Texas. When 24-year-old Beth McMurray sneaks onto a train to surprise her fiancé, former Senator Lamont LaCroix, she’s shocked to overhear him bragging about his plans for her and her money. Then robbers board the train and it goes off the rails. Just before the crash, one of the robbers grabs Beth and jumps off the train, taking the fall to protect her. He’s hurt, but she stays with him, claiming that he’s her husband. The sheriff and the doctor believe that Beth is now Mrs. Andrew McLaughlin, but LaCroix does not. Meanwhile, widower Andrew reveals his hidden depths: when he’s not robbing trains, he longs to be an author. By the time Beth drives a wagon out of town, she has collected a pretend husband, two little boys, an ill teen cowboy, and a pregnant young woman, and the adventure has just begun. Complex plotting, superb character development, and touching romantic scenes make this a winner. Agent: Gail Fortune, Talbot Fortune Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Promise Me Texas

“Thomas’ stories make everyone believe Texas is the greatest place on earth, and as she brings an unlikely pair of lovers together in an adventurous romance, readers will wish they could visit Whispering Mountain. The depth of emotion, tenderness and heartfelt warmth that make Thomas a fan favorite are written into another wonderful, memorable tale.”—RT Book Reviews

“Bestseller Thomas strikes gold again with her seventh Whispering Mountain historical...Complex plotting, superb character development, and touching romantic scenes make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

More Praise for Jodi Thomas

“Jodi draws the reader into her stories from the first page...She’s one of my favorites.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

“Jodi Thomas is a masterful storyteller. She grabs your attention on the first page, captures your heart, and then makes you sad when it's time to bid her wonderful characters farewell. You can count on Jodi Thomas to give you a satisfying and memorable read.”—New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson

“Her stories are engaging, genuine, and difficult to put down.”—The Romance Reader

From the Publisher

2013-11-04
Just minutes after discovering her fiance is the last person she wants to marry, Beth McMurray survives a train crash through the brave actions of a shadowy character who might be an outlaw; claiming she's married to him seems the best way to save them both. Sneaking off her family's Texas ranch to marry her fiance early sounds like a fine idea, until Beth boards the train disguised as a man and listens as the senator brags about landing the wealthy heiress and lays out his plans to get Beth and her fortune under his thumb. Planning to quietly head back home once the train reaches Dallas, she retreats to the rail car where her horse is stalled and witnesses a group of men breach the train, obviously intent on robbery. Unfortunately, the train jumps the tracks, but one of the men grabs Beth and propels them both clear of the wreckage, bearing the brunt of a hard landing and falling unconscious. When he wakes up in the hospital with only vague memories of the incident, writer Andrew McLaughlin follows Beth's lead and supports her story that they are married, which proves to be important, since the senator has caught sight of Beth and is trying to get her under his influence. A young woman traveling alone in Texas in 1879 has few rights, and Andrew quickly understands that the senator does not have Beth's best interests at heart. However, other odd events are going on at the hospital, and when Beth and Andrew leave, they have assembled an entourage of vulnerable souls that they take with them, first to Fort Worth and then on to Beth's family's ranch. They've also created enemies, and Andrew is distrustful of love--two major obstacles in their winding road to happily-ever-after. The novel has a lot going on and keeps readers engaged and entertained despite a few elements that strain suspension of disbelief (including the ridiculously idiotic senator). Though flawed, a generally fun adventure.

Kirkus Reviews